ISLAMABAD, May 10: The Ministry of Science and Technology has moved a summary to the cabinet to provide tax and utility incentives to create high-tech states in different parts of the country.

This was stated by the minister in charge for science and technology and Higher Education Commission chairman Prof Attaur Rehman on Monday. He was speaking at the opening of the 19th annual computer exhibition "IT and Telecom Expo 2004, here at a local hotel.

Computer Society of Pakistan (Rawalpindi/Islamabad Chapter) organized the exhibition, in which prominent companies dealing with IT and telecom development programme displayed latest equipment.

A large number of students and computer enthusiasts thronged the exhibition to have a glimpse of latest entries in the market. Prof Ata said Pakistan was far behind the neighbouring countries in the IT sector, mainly because "we are producing substandard human resource not fulfilling the current market requirements".

To ameliorate the situation, he said, the government was establishing quality institutions. He said recently, 65,000 people had been trained across the country with the help of Intel China.

A roadmap has been created, and the government's commitment to IT is evident from the fact that IT campus in Abbotabad was established within 75 days, the minister said. said the gap between academia and IT industries should be bridged to further developmental process.

Our reporter adds: fruitful cooperation among South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) countries in the field of science and technology is need of the hour, Prof Ata said while inaugurating the first meeting of Saarc Technical Committee on Science and Technology here on Monday.

The meeting was organized by Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and Pakistan Meteorology Department. "Saarc countries having common problems should launch programmes of mutual interest," said Prof Ata.

In this regard, it is necessary to identify key areas like Applied Sciences, Material Sciences, Engineering, Health and Biotechnology, and then to carry on the programmes of mutual interest, he said.